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Origin of quote

Posted by Silver Surfer on October 14, 2002

In Reply to: Origin of quote posted by Bob on October 14, 2002

: : I'm not sure of the exact quotation, but it is someting similar to "every organization is brought down (or destroyed) by an excess of it's own first principle". Can anyone tell me who wrote (or said) this?

: : Thank You

: Lord Acton once said that every institution perishes by an excess of its own first principle.

Lord Acton, who died in 1902, was considered one of the most learned people of his age, unmatched for the breadth, depth, and humanity of his knowledge. He has become famous to succeeding generations for his observation -- learned through many years of study and first-hand experience -- that "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

See: the meaning and origin of the phrase "Absolute power corrupts absolutely".

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